The candidates expressed excitement Wednesday about the chance to serve on a council facing ongoing debates over growth, oil and gas development and public trust.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we were all rooting for each other just as much as we were for our own election,\u201d Becker said. \u201cIt\u2019s just good all around and I\u2019m ready to make some good changes.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
According to unofficial election results from Boulder and Weld counties, Bob Braudes led the District 1 race with 2,865 votes, or 57.1%, compared with Andrew Sawusch\u2019s 2,153 votes, or 42.9%.\n<\/p>\n
In District 2, Ben Hemphill led with 2,864 votes, or 54.8%, followed by Delaney Dreckman with 1,968 votes, or 37.6%, and Dipak Basnet with 398 votes, or 7.6%.\n<\/p>\n
Amy Becker held the largest percentage lead of the three apparent winners, receiving 2,193 votes, or 64%, in District 3. Incumbent Brian O\u2019Connor received 1,234 votes, or 36%.\n<\/p>\n
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Dreckman and O\u2019Connor did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday. Sawusch declined to comment on the results.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s premature to give a statement considering there\u2019s still 50,000 ballots still outstanding in Boulder County,\u201d Sawusch said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
However, Sawusch\u2019s estimate refers to Boulder County as a whole, not just Erie, and could not be independently verified. According to Boulder County Elections<\/a>, 9,010 ballots have been returned by Erie\u2019s 12,594 active registered voters on the Boulder County side, a 71.54% return rate. Meanwhile, unofficial election results<\/a> show 5,893 votes reported across Erie\u2019s District 1 and District 2 council races. The number of ballots still awaiting counting is unclear.\n<\/p>\n Because Erie sits in both Boulder and Weld counties, votes are counted and reported separately before being combined. The results will remain unofficial until an audit and approval by the Canvass Board in late November.\n<\/p>\n The election fills three of the town\u2019s six council seats. Braudes is poised to replace John Mortellaro in District 1, while Hemphill would take the District 2 seat held by Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Bell, whose council term was set to expire before Mayor Andrew Moore\u2019s resignation<\/a> which moved him into the mayor\u2019s role. Bell is set to become mayor Nov. 10. Becker\u2019s apparent victory over O\u2019Connor in District 3 would mark the defeat of a sitting council member.\n<\/p>\n Hemphill thanked the voters who supported him, along with the volunteers who helped during the campaign.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just excited and honored that the people in District 2 voted me in,\u201d Hemphill said Wednesday, adding that he looks forward to representing the district.\n<\/p>\n The results come after months of debate over how Erie should grow and how much say residents should have in major town decisions.\n<\/p>\n At an October candidate forum covered by Yellow Scene<\/a>, candidates disagreed over housing, water costs, new development and the town\u2019s handling of oil and gas operations.\n<\/p>\n Bob Braudes, left, Amy Becker, center, and Ben Hemphill attend an information seminar on oil and gas development Sept. 23, 2026, in Erie, Colorado.<\/p>\n One of the biggest disputes involved a mineral-rights agreement between Erie and SM Energy<\/a>. The deal would have allowed the company to develop town-owned mineral rights, raising concerns among residents about drilling near neighborhoods and the town\u2019s decision-making process.\n<\/p>\n The council\u2019s handling of the agreement drew strong public opposition. After a divided council reconsidered the deal in June<\/a>, SM Energy canceled the agreement<\/a> in August.\n<\/p>\n The issue also exposed differences among council candidates. Braudes opposed the agreement, while Hemphill called for stronger protections around oil and gas development. O\u2019Connor, whom Becker challenged in District 3, had supported reconsidering the agreement<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Although the canceled deal is no longer before the council, questions about drilling, growth and public input remain. The incoming members could help shape how Erie handles similar decisions in the future.\n<\/p>\n Braudes said Wednesday that he hopes to bring residents together after a divisive period.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to trying to bridge some of the gaps that we have in Erie,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n He also pointed to sidewalks, trails and noise from the Erie Municipal Airport as concerns he heard from residents during the campaign. Braudes said he still has more to learn about what the town can do to address airport noise.\n<\/p>\n That transition, along with three incoming council members, could give the town a different approach to issues that have divided residents and elected officials.\n<\/p>\n The newly elected council members are scheduled to take office in January, after the results are certified.\n<\/p>\n In today\u2019s corporate world, finding true, honest journalism is getting harder, and that includes local news, too. From corporate takeovers to the nonprofit industry, finding reporters willing to ask the hard questions seems like a thing of the past.\n<\/p>\n Which is why Yellow Scene remains fiercely independent and never, ever accepts quid pro quo. We are only beholden to our readers, not funders.\n<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Amy-Becker_Ben-Hemphill_Bob-Braudes-1024x768.jpg\")
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